Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon announced today that a 41-year-old Schenectady man has admitted to possessing a quantity of cocaine during a traffic stop.

Nashaan Howard pleaded guilty in front of the Honorable Roger McDonough to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree.

On Oct. 28, 2024, New York State Troopers observed a brown Infiniti committing multiple traffic violations on I-87 northbound in Albany. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Howard sped off at more than 130 mph.

Troopers were able to deploy a tire deflation device and get the vehicle to stop. Howard admitted to discarding several items out of the window during the chase, which Troopers were able to recover. Test results determined the substance to be cocaine in excess of two kilograms.

Howard was remanded to the custody of the Albany County Correctional Facility until Sept. 11, when he will face a state prison sentence of eight years followed by five years of post-release supervision.

Assistant District Attorney Stephen Lydon of the Major Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case.